Two-in-One Tunnel

by Tom Moses, P.E., Proj. Mgr., Whittier Proj. and the State Materials Engr.; Alaska Dept. of Transp. and Public Facilities, Anchorage, AK,
Paul Witt, P.E., (M.ASCE), Sr. Proj. Mgr.; HDR Engrg., Anchorage, AK,
Frank Frandina, P.E., (M.ASCE), Vice Pres., Design/Build Proj.; Hatch Mott McDonald, Buffalo, NY,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 2000, Vol. 70, Issue 4, Pg. 48-53


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

Engineers are converting the 2.6 mi (4.2 km) Anton Anderson Railroad Tunnel that connects the isolated town of Whittier, Alaska, to the rest of the state into a combination highway-railroad facility that supports motor vehicles as well. By June 2000, vehicles will be able to drive through the tunnel, making it the longest rail-highway tunnel in North America and the longest highway tunnel in the United States. This $57-million tunnel is the first one in the United States to use a combination of portal and jet ventilation fans and to be accessible to the public, thanks to a unique computerized traffic control system.

Subject Headings: Tunnels | Highways and roads | Vehicles | Rail transportation | Control systems | Ventilation | Traffic management

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